A very special thanks to Stopquitdont, who was a *super* Beta Reader!
Another huge thank you goes out to Zama60 for helping me edit and brainstorm for titles!
There is one major WHAM, so be forewarned.
* * * * *
Adam Whitney lay on his brand-new mattress in his brand-new apartment. It was about 11 P.M., and he was worn out from moving his pieces of furniture from his mom’s house in the suburbs to his new place in the East side of Metropolis. He frowned, wondering how he’d afford his share of next month’s rent after having just bought the mattress and a few other essentials.
Adam never dreamed of living in a brownstone like this, especially right after college. It was all made possible by his college buddy, Elliot Newman. Elliot came from one of the wealthiest families in Metropolis. In fact, it was Elliot’s idea to invite Adam to live with him. He made Adam a deal: if he took the smaller bedroom, he would only have to pay one-third of the rent. ‘Fair enough,’ thought Adam, who was ready to have some independence.
Today, he had been fortunate enough to meet his next-door neighbors, the Kents. They seemed to be nice people. Lois and Clark. Daily Planet reporters. Newlyweds. Clark had voluntarily helped Adam carry some heavy pieces of furniture up to his bedroom. It was incredible how easily Clark lifted a particularly heavy bureau. Adam made a mental note to ask Clark what gym he belonged to.
Now, things were quiet. Elliot worked nights as an intern at S.T.A.R. Labs. While it was a boring position, it was an important one. He monitored a laboratory containing all kinds of Kryptonite experiments. There were long-term projects going on, he had told Adam. The glowing green crystals were being treated with extreme heat, extreme cold, exposures to other chemicals, among other treatments. Elliot’s job was to make sure the levels remained stable, the burners were still burning, and any changes were logged.
Adam stood up and stretched. He wandered over to the balcony, opened the glass door, and drank in a deep breath. The air was dark and cool. He looked up at the night sky. ‘This has got to be one of the only places to see stars in Metropolis!’ he mused, sitting indian-style on his balcony. (They were still lacking some things to furnish their apartment, patio furniture being one of them.) Adam had minored in astronomy, so as he relaxed, he gazed skyward searching for distant planets and galaxies.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. A tiny speck was earthbound. Yet it wasn’t a shooting star. As the speck neared the ground, Adam recognized the red cape: it was Superman. Adam was shocked to find that Superman was landing in what appeared to be the alley beside their building. A few moments later, he heard voices from the apartment next door: Lois and Clark’s apartment. Adam glanced over.
Lois slid the screen door aside and she and Clark stepped out onto their balcony. There was quite a distance between the two balconies, and with the privacy panels Adam was fairly certain Lois and Clark could not see him sitting there, even though he could see them.
Adam caught fragments of their conversation. “...a really bad fire,” Clark was saying. “Anyone hurt?” his wife questioned. “...someone trapped on the eighth floor. I was there just in time,” he replied. Lois pulled Clark in tight for a long kiss. “I was worried. It seemed... a long time.” Adam was straining to hear, but half the fragments of their conversation drifted off into the night air.
Clark smiled calmly. “I’m just glad ‘Superman’ was able to make it before anyone got hurt.”
Lois’ voice was gentle. “Me too. Metropolis is lucky to have you.”
Adam’s mind was suddenly racing. ‘Did I hear what I *think* I just heard?’ Lois was talking to Clark like he *was* Superman. Come to think of it, Clark had certainly demonstrated super strength, and now *this!* Plus, Adam guessed, without his glasses, that Clark Kent really could look like the Man of Steel! There was still a shade of uncertainty. Superman’s disappearance and Clark’s reappearance had certainly coincided. Plus the conversation seemed to sound very much like a Superman rescue. Yet it was also possible Clark had rushed out to cover a story on a fire. Maybe ‘Superman’ was Lois’ nickname for Clark. Either way, Adam was going to have to keep a close eye on Clark Kent.
* * * * *
Lois was having a long, horrible morning. To start off, she awoke to find herself sick to her stomach (she figured she had picked up a mild case of food poisoning from the Chinese take-out she had consumed the previous night). She rushed to get ready, and went off to work with Clark. It was a bad news day and she ended up having to write a society piece on the mayor’s daughter’s Sweet Sixteen party (“A waste of my time, making me write about this trash!”). As the day progressed, things got worse. ‘Of all the lousy days,’ grumbled Lois in her head.
Finally, lunch time rolled around. Lois ordered a tuna salad sandwich on rye and suddenly found herself not hungry. She ate the potato chips that came with it and threw the rest away. She found the potato chips tasted especially good, so she bought herself a second bag.
She shoved the chips into her briefcase as she entered the Daily Planet. Then, she sat down, finished up her story and handed it to Perry White. Lois was beginning to feel dizzy and lightheaded. She half fell into the chair behind her. "Perry," Lois began, "I'm not feeling very good right now..." Admitting defeat did not come easily to Lois, but today with her queasy stomach and pounding headache, some extra rest sounded very enticing.
"Lois, you don't look very good right now. I want you to go home," Perry said. He had noticed Lois looking pale and fatigued all day. He wondered how come she hadn't asked him to leave sooner. "I can't deprive my best reporter of her rest. Go on, now; get out of here."
"Thanks, chief," Lois sighed as she dragged herself out of his office.
"There you are, Lois! I was looking for you!" called Clark. He had just come back from running an “errand” (Superman heard some children playing dangerously near the train tracks). He was disappointed to see that Lois looked even more wan and worn-out than she had before.
"Clark, I'm going home. I don't know what's wrong with me. It must have been the food last night," Lois mumbled tiredly.
"I was just going to suggest you leave early," Clark said, taking her hand. "I've never seen you like this. Come on; I'll take you home."
Clark drove Lois back to their apartment and saw that she was safely in. "Promise me you'll go to the clinic," he started. Lois nodded. "And call me when you get back, okay? I'm worried about you, Lois." And with that, Clark kissed Lois goodbye and left.
Lois wandered into the bedroom and unzipped the tight business suit and put on some loose sweat pants and a white t-shirt. Before she left for the doctor's office, Lois grabbed some potato chips out of the cabinet to eat in the car. While her stomach was still upset, they were strangely satisfying.
* * * * *
Adam awoke to the sounds of Elliot unlocking the door after his shift at S.T.A.R. Labs had ended. Elliot was tired after his long night of work, yet still dressed in the professional attire that was required for his position. In his left hand he held a briefcase and his white lab coat was folded over his arm.
Adam bolted upright. He way dying to tell Elliot about his theory!
Elliot yawned. “Sorry I woke you up. It’s only 7:30, why don’t you go back to bed?”
“I have to tell you something,” Adam offered excitedly.
“What’s up?”
“That Clark Kent guy next door. I think he’s Superman!” Adam was now pacing excitedly around the apartment.
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t tell me--Lois Lane is *Wonder Woman?*” Elliot was too tired to listen to all this nonsense.
“Hang on, sit down. Let me tell you what I saw.” Adam explained everything: how Clark had moved huge pieces of furniture without breaking into a sweat, what he saw on the balcony, and what he heard. Elliot still tried to play the Devil’s Advocate.
“You were tired; I swear, you were probably just seeing things,” Elliot protested. Deep down, he wondered if there was some truth behind Adam’s speculation. “Anyhow, Clark Kent wears glasses. *Everyone* knows that Superman has better-than-perfect vision.”
“Don’t you get it? That’s probably just a front!” Adam sighed, exasperated that Elliot was not convinced. “At any rate, I am going to be keeping a really close eye on those people. There’s something weird going on there.”
* * * * *
Lois sat on the edge of the paper covered table nervously. She was waiting for the doctor to return with the test results. Lois hated to go to the doctor, especially when she had to wait all alone in that small, white room. As she waited, she slipped off of the table quietly and wandered around the room. She poked around all of the jars of cotton swabs, band-aids, and cotton balls. She started to open the drawers when she heard the doctor outside of the door. She leapt onto the table once again, feigning innocence.
"Mrs. Kent?" said the doctor as he entered the exam room. He glanced at his clipboard bearing her test results.
"Yes?" Lois replied. ‘Mrs. Kent...’ Lois made a mental note. *She* was Mrs. Kent. ‘I'm going to have to get used to that,’ she thought.
“Well, the tests indicate that you’re in very good health. Everything is just fine. But there is something else the tests revealed.” Her doctor broke out into a big grin. "Congratulations! You're going to have a baby!"
Lois' heart caught in her throat as the color drained from her face. "Are you sure?" she choked out; beginning to tremble.
"Positive."
The drive home seemed like a dream. Now it was Lois’ thoughts--not morning sickness--that was making her stomach churn. ‘I'm pregnant... I'm pregnant... There’s a baby growing inside of me right now...’ she thought. The whole idea scared her. It just didn't feel real. She had only been married to Clark for two months. She and Clark had wanted a family... eventually. In Lois’ mind, a pregnancy should follow careful planning. She and Clark had discussed the possibility of children after maybe two years of marriage. Now how would Clark react when she told him the news? She had tried to protect herself from pregnancy, but with Superman’s alien genes anything could happen. The Superman factor was another problem. Would the baby have powers? What if her pregnancy didn’t progress ‘normally?’ Could she still conceal Clark’s identity when the baby’s health was at stake? She had another guilty, selfish thought: ‘Will I have to completely rearrange my lifestyle? Will I have to give up working?’ Her job at the Daily Planet had become so much a part of who she was. Finally, another fear crossed her mind: ‘Am I even *capable* of being a suitable mother?’
She entered the apartment and picked up the telephone with shaky hands. ‘I have to call Clark. I have to tell him right away,’ she thought. It seemed to take forever for her to dial his extension at the Daily Planet. Lois felt as though she might throw up as she heard the phone ring. "Hi, Clark...? No, nothing's wrong. I've... got to tell you something. I'd like to tell you in person. Can you--"
In a matter of seconds, Clark was in the apartment with her. Lois set the phone down in its cradle before she’d even finished her sentence.
"You were saying, Lois?" He took her hand and studied her expression. Lois looked uncomfortable; her hands were cold and shaky. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Clark’s brow was furrowed with worry. Lois withdrew her hands and paced a little.
"I'm... we're going to--" she stopped. She stared at the floor and twisted her wedding ring around her finger nervously. "We're going to have a baby!" she blurted out as confused tears clouded her vision.
"Oh, Lois!" Clark took her in his arms; his heart in his eyes. "That's *wonderful!*" he cried out as he held her. Suddenly, to Clark’s surprise, she dissolved into tears. "Lois! What's wrong?" he asked, concerned by her reaction.
"I'm so confused!" Lois cried. "I wasn't expecting this at all!"
"It's okay, Lois. I wasn't either. But we'll be together through the whole thing. And I'll take care of you." He kissed her tenderly.
She managed a smile. Clark always made her feel a million times better.
* * * * *
In the days that followed, Adam became obsessed with knowing the truth about his neighbors. He set up a little “spy station;” that is to say, he filled a cardboard box with binoculars, a handheld tape recorder, a disposable camera, a pad and pencil, a stopwatch, and any other implements he thought might be useful. At least twice a day, he sat out on the balcony looking for clues that Superman and Clark were really one and the same. His new ‘Superman-watching hobby’ was yielding very little results.
Once in a while he even convinced Elliot to join him. On one such afternoon, Adam was feeling particularly discouraged. “You know, I’ve come to realize how careful Superman is. I mean, I feel like we’ve got nothing definitive.”
“I told you,” retorted Elliot. “This whole thing is ridiculous. How do we even *know* Superman has a secret identity? For all we know, he lives in some secret place, ... I don’t know, ...some solitary fortress somewhere.”
Adam shrugged. “Yeah, I just wish there was some way to know for sure.”
“Wait.” Elliot’s eyes flashed with a realization. “There *is* a way.”
“What are you talking about, Elliot? You don’t even believe me.”
“I don’t believe you because you haven’t shown me any proof. Listen,” he whispered. “As soon as I get the chance, I’ll bet I can swipe a piece of Kryptonite from S.T.A.R. Labs. We can expose Clark Kent to it and see if he reacts!”
“Are you kidding me?” Adam was shocked. He grimaced, considering it. “I guess it’s not a half-bad idea.”
* * * * *
The days passed quickly. It had been three weeks since the day they found out Lois was expecting. She was three months into her pregnancy. Almost every day, she exhibited signs of morning sickness. But Lois was a strong woman, ready to take on any danger at any given time; she could handle a little nausea in the morning.
This particular morning was like any other. Clark got up early and dressed for work. Lois woke up shortly after. While Lois went to the bathroom, Clark plumped her pillows for her. She laid back down and Clark fixed the sheets and blankets around her just the way she liked them. "You're *sure* you don't need anything?" he asked as he did every morning.
Lois shook her head, grinning. She found it cute that he had become even more protective and thoughtful of her needs. “I’m not an invalid, Clark,” she teased.
"I know, I know. But remember to call me if you’re going to be a little late." He kissed her and began to leave.
"Oh!" Lois called after him. "There is something. Can you bring me my potato chips, please?"
"Of course," he said gently. Lois heard the cabinet door open and close. He entered the bedroom, potato chips in hand.
"Thank you, Clark," Lois said as she nibbled on her potato chips.
Clark patted her belly. "Take care of yourself. See you later," he said as he kissed her goodbye again. Lois, as usual, tasted like potato chips.
Every day, Lois would nap for an extra half-hour before coming to work. Her doctor recommended it, and the extra rest made a world of difference in the magnitude of her morning sickness. Clark worried, but knew it would be virtually impossible to keep Lois from working, pregnant or not.
It was eight thirty when Lois awoke. ‘What a nice sleep!’ she thought. She dressed in a hurry in a suit that she had accidentally bought too big, but never got around to returning. It fit her perfectly now, accommodating her swelling belly. She slipped on a pair of matching ballet flats and looked at herself in the full-length mirror.
"I'm Mrs. Lois Lane-Kent and I'm going to have a baby!" she said cheerily to her reflection. It was amazing. She was getting used to the idea of being a mother. She recalled the day she and Clark spread the good news. Everyone--their parents, their coworkers at the Planet, their neighbors--seemed to be so happy for them. Lois smiled once more at her reflection. She ran a hand over her belly approvingly.
Before Lois left, she strolled over to her sliding glass door. The sun was shining brightly. She pulled the door open, drawing in a deep breath of fresh air. She felt wonderfully optimistic and alive. She was just about to slide the door closed when a voice caught her ear. It was her two neighbors; she could have sworn she heard them talking about Superman! On an instinct, Lois crouched down on her balcony and cocked her head to hear what the voices were saying.
"I stole it from S.T.A.R. Labs last night. They’ll never know it’s missing.” The voice was Elliot’s.
"Are you *serious?* Can I see it?" said Adam. They were standing on their balcony. Panicking, Lois tried to peer between the wooden slats of her balcony.
"Okay. I'll give you a little peek," said Elliot. Lois stared in their direction. Their backs were turned towards her, but she could see that Elliot was opening a small box. When she saw the green glow shine on the two boys’ faces, she knew it could only contain one thing: *Kryptonite.*
Lois held her breath and continued to listen. "I don’t know about this, Elliot,” Adam hesitated.
"I know what I’m doing," said Elliot.
“When are you going to do it?” Adam sounded uneasy.
“Today. I’m going to drop it off right now at the Daily Planet.”
Lois had heard enough. She crept into her apartment and shut the glass door. ‘I have to warn Clark!’ she thought as she headed for the door.
* * * * *
“Elliot, I can’t do this. These people are really nice,” Adam complained, wrought with guilt. The prospect of a world without a Superman scared the pants off of him. He had no idea his so-called ‘friend’ would misuse the information Adam had given him. “I mean, you want to *kill* Superman just to prove he’s really Clark Kent?”
“Not ‘kill,’ per se. I’ll wound him a little. I’ll get photographs of Clark reacting to Kryptonite. You bring the rock, I’ll take the photos. Are you in or are you out?”
Adam couldn’t believe how his innocent theory had become so twisted and dangerous. He shook his head. “I’m out. I’m staying right here.”
“Suit yourself,” Elliot sneered. “But don’t think that you’re going to stop me.”
* * * * *
